Curbside Stories

Hundred Islands, Pangasinan Noon... Active na active ka sa buhay ko, Araw-araw magka-usap, magka-video, Gabi-gabi puyatan tayo. Ngayon... Active na active ka, pero hindi sa buhay ko, Araw-araw dine-deadma mo ako, parang "Who am I to you?" Gabi-gabi puyat ako sa paghihintay sa'yo. Bukas... Active na active ako sa buhay nya, Araw-araw kaming mag-uusap at masaya, Gabi-gabi sabay kaming matutulog dahil alam namin na bukas ay kami pa.

Picnic Grove, Tagaytay City Mababaw lang ang kaligayahan ko, Makita ko lang yung green dot Sa tabi ng profile pic mo, solve na ako Isang like mo, isang heart, Isang care, isang laugh, Isa lang dyan, hindi na ako sad. Mababaw lang ang kaligayahan ko, Pero bakit ganun, bakit ganito? Isang like, isang heart, Isang care, isang laugh, Kahit alin dyan, still, I am sad. Sa bawat reaction, sa bawat comment at share mo, Sa araw-araw na view sa story ko, Nandun yung katotohanan na Sa babaw ng kaligayahan ko, Hindi naman ako ang kaligayahan mo.

The beachfront of the inn where we stayed overlooking the cluster of islands with magnificent rock formations. Caramoan is a relatively unexplored gem of Camarines Sur in the Bicol Region. If you are from Manila, you will have to endure at least 15 hours of land travel or at least 4 hours via Legazpi City in Albay if you will travel by plane. The long and winding road and frequent poor cellphone signal will get you bored so I suggest you bring something to keep you busy or might as well sleep and sacrifice seeing the breathtaking scenery along the way. We left the house before midnight on May 10 and arrived in Caramoan at around 4 in the afternoon the following day only with two brief stopovers for breakfast and toilet break. We were supposed to go to Gota Resort but unfortunately, it was under exclusive use of the Survivor  cast and crew. We ended up in a more public venue wherein inns and hostels occupy the beach front. Anyone can swim on the beach but you can't be sat...

The heart of the Philippines is Marinduque, The hear-shaped island not only boasts its rich culture but also its stunning beaches with crystal clear waters... for free. It will take you around 5 hours from Manila to reach the port in Lucena, Quezon and from there, another 45 minutes to 1 hour to get to Balanacan Port, Marinduque via ferry boat.  You will be greeted by a huge statue of the Virgin Mary when you reach the port. We arrived at around 10 in the evening and this was a sight to behold. It felt you were being watched to safety. Marinduque is a rather small island with a land area of less than 1 thousand square kilometers that lies between Sibuyan Bay in the South and Tayabas Bay to the North.

The mansion of the Marcos family in Batac, Ilocos Norte. We are now heading south and it's our time to visit historical landmarks of Ilocos. Our first stop is the Marcos Museum and Mausoleum in Batac, Ilocos Norte. Inside are the family's memorabilia during the Spanish, Japanese and American regime. You have to pay a minimal fee of 30 pesos to get inside. Other displays are about the love affair of Ferdinand Marcos and Imelda Romualdez. The photo above is a replica of the slippers Imelda wore when she first met Ferdinand. You will have a clear sense at how rich and influential the Marcos family is. Downstairs is where the mausoleum of Ferdinand Marcos is located. Visitors are not allowed to take photos or use any electronic device for that matter. The guards which also served as tour guides explained that frequencies and light emitted by electronic devices affects the integrity of the corpse. He also said the once a year, an Egyptian embalmer checks the co...

The white beach of Bangui Bay in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. Click on the photo  for a larger view. Summertime has officially begun in the Philippines and of course a vacation is not complete if you will not spend a day or two in one of the island nation's famous beaches. I was lucky to have the opportunity to take a day off from work and fulfill one task in my bucket list--visit the Ilocos Region. The Ilocos Region is composed of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan provinces situated in the northwestern part of Luzon and is bordered by the South China Sea in the west and Cordillera Administrative Region in the east. This is the beach that greeted us on our first day. The first destination of our Ilocos Tour is Pagudpud, it is 562 kilometers away from Metro Manila or more or less 9 hours non-stop drive but it was all worth it. We left the house at 8 in the evening and arrived at 5 in the morning the next day. We did not have prior hotel reservations but we ...

If you happen to be in Tagaytay City, never miss the opportunity to visit Caleruega. It is a religous complex in Nasugbu, Batangas, just a few minutes off of Tagaytay City to the South. It is currently the famous wedding events of many A-lists and well-to-do families because of the beauty of the location and you can really feel serenity when you are inside the compound. My sister, nieces and my son went here on December 30. It was not a planned trip but it was definitely worth it.  There is an entrance fee of 30 pesos per head, you can bring foods and take lots of photos in their garden. The Koi Pond is the entrance to the picnic grounds and it also leads to another church on top of a hill with a magnificent view of Tagaytay and Batangas. Their motto "Close to nature, closer to God" is very obvious in the ambiance. It is so peaceful. You can just sit in one place and reflect or meditate. I should have bought a book when we went here. ...

The view of Mactan Island from our boat. I can't believe I forgot to post my first ever Cebu trip with my sisters! We went there last October 2013. It almost didn't happen because Cebu and Bohol were rocked by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake. We were so scared because of the reports of aftershocks but we can no longer move the date because my younger sister will be back in the US the following week. So we went, with all courage and prayers for guidance and safety.  We stayed in a cheap but decent hotel in Mandaue, it is about 30 to 40 minute taxi drive from Mactan Cebu International Airport. Although there were many public transportations, we opted to ride a taxi for convenience. If I remember it correctly, we paid a little over 6 thousand pesos for two family rooms for three days. Not bad, eh? The Magellan's Cross. Day 1 of our stay started with a tour at the Magellan's Cross in the compound of Basilica del Sto. Nino in Cebu City. There were many tourists ...

My photo taken by my travel buddy. I am not wearing an appropriate beach attire, again. It was five years ago when I  first visited  Munting Buhangin Beach Camp in Nasugbu, Batangas together with my two friends. It was a random trip borne out of boredom. Yesterday, my travel buddy and I only planned to have lunch in Tagaytay City but we ended up driving to Batangas. We initially thought of going to a resort we haven't visited yet, in fact, we inquired at Canyon Cove--but we ended up in Munting Buhangin again... The white sand beach that is overlooked by a neighbor members only resort--Terrazas De Punta Fuego. Me waiting for the sun to set  in one of the tents. I noticed they added more tents to accommodate day tour guests. They were also painting and repairing cottages as one of the preparations for the summer vacation. The same nipa cottages that are lined up on the beach are still there. The entrance fee for day tour is Php180 but if ...